cultural
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Related to cultural: Cultural Revolution, Cultural studies, Cultural diversity, Cultural relativism, cultural values
cultural
(kŭl′chər-əl)adj.
Of or relating to culture or cultivation.
cul′tur·al·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
culture
(kul'chur) [L. cultura, cultivation, care]1. In the biological sciences, the propagation of microorganisms or of living tissue cells in special media that are conducive to their growth.
2. Shared human artifacts, attitudes, beliefs, customs, entertainment, ideas, language, laws, learning, and moral conduct. cultural ('chu-ral), adjectiveculturally (-ra-le)
active surveillance culture
Surveillance culture.biphasic culture
A culture in which solid and liquid growth media are combined in a single container, or in which different growth media are layered.
blood culture
A culture used to identify bacteria, fungi, or viruses in the blood. This test consists of withdrawing blood from a vein under sterile precautions, placing it in or on suitable culture media, and determining whether or not microbes grow in the media. If organisms grow, they are identified by bacteriological methods. Multiple blood cultures may be needed to isolate an organism.
cell culture
The growth of cells in vitro for experimental purposes. The cells proliferate but do not organize into tissue.
colorimetric culture
A culture in which the presence of particular cells or microorganisms is detected based on the staining or tinting of their cellular structures, proteins, nucleic acids, or metabolic products.
contaminated culture
A culture in which bacteria from a foreign source have infiltrated the growth medium.
continuous flow culture
A bacterial culture in which a fresh flow of culture medium is maintained. This allows the bacteria to maintain their growth rate.
corporate culture
The institutional values of a corporation, hospital, professional association, or other entity.
gelatin culture
A culture of bacteria on a gelatin medium.
hanging block culture
A thin slice of agar seeded on its surface with bacteria and then inverted on a coverslip and sealed in the concavity of a hollow glass slide.
hanging drop culture
A culture accomplished by inoculating the bacterium into a drop of culture medium on a cover glass and mounting it upside down over the depression on a concave slide.
Harada-Mori culture
See: Harada-Mori culturenegative culture
A culture made from suspected matter that fails to reveal the suspected organism.
nonradiometric culture
A culture medium in which the growth of microorganisms is detected without the use of radioactive isotopes.
positive culture
A culture that reveals the suspected organism.
pure culture
A culture of a single form of microorganism uncontaminated by other organisms.
radiometric culture
A method for detecting the presence of microorganisms in a sample body fluid or tissue in which the metabolism of infecting organisms is demonstrated by their incorporation or release of specifically radiolabeled chemicals in the culture medium, e.g., carbon dioxide labeled with 14C. Radiometric culture media have been used to detect bacteria, fungi, mycobacteria, and viruses in clinical specimens.
slant culture
A culture in which the medium is placed in a slanted tube to allow greater surface for growth of the inoculum of bacteria.
slice culture
A means of studying living tissues by obtaining specimens from approx.100 to 400 µm in thickness and maintaining them in vitro in a nutrient bath. The technique is used in investigations of brain or liver diseases.
stab culture
A bacterial culture made by thrusting into the culture medium an inoculating needle with the bacterial specimen.
stock culture
A permanent culture from which transfers may be made.
streak culture
The spreading of the bacteria inoculum by drawing a wire containing the inoculum across the surface of the medium.
surveillance culture
The sampling of patients on admission into a hospital admission or an intensive care unitfor the presence of particular microorganisms (such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. or vancomycin-resistant enterococci).
Synonym: active surveillance culturetissue culture
A culture in which tissue cells are grown in artificial nutrient media.
type culture
A culture of standard strains of bacteria that are maintained in a suitable storage area. These permit bacteriologists to compare known strains with unknown or partially identified strains.
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